Japan Protests Against North Korea’s Nuclear Test Announcement

May 25, 2009
Japanese

On May 25 at around 2:30 p.m., the Government of Japan protested to North Korea through the “embassy route” in Beijing concerning the announcement of a nuclear test by North Korea earlier that day.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, demands that North Korea not conduct any nuclear test and the Security Council Presidential Statement of April 13, 2009 requests that North Korea fully comply with this resolution. North Korea’s nuclear test was conducted despite them and constitutes a clear violation of the resolution. The test is totally unacceptable.
In addition, the nuclear test is a serious challenge to the nuclear nonproliferation regime, and is against the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration and the Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks. Japan strongly protests against North Korea’s action and finds it deeply regrettable.
Japan urges North Korea to fully and immediately implement the Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks which states North Korea’s commitment to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and returning to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA safeguards, as well as United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718. Japan strongly urges North Korea to take concrete measures towards comprehensively resolving the outstanding issues of concern including the abduction, nuclear, and missile issues.

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